Waking Up
by muzical
Summary: Slightly AU. James is alive. Follow along as James finds out how he has returned to life and as he discovers what happened over the previous sixteen years. This is my first James story so please be kind! On Hiatus at the moment... I'm stuck...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A man awoke in a dark, cold box. His eyes opened to pitch blackness and he tried to move, only to find himself trapped. After the intensity of the situation set in, he began to scream. Hoping, praying someone would hear him; wishing he would be rescued from this blackness.

His arms flailed; his hands hit the top of the box then dropped to his sides. He groped at a stick of wood by his side and recognized his wand. Grabbing it, he lifted it as high as he could and shouted, concentrating, "Deprimo!"

The top flew off and he was showered with dirt and debris. Sputtering and cursing, he sat up straight. He brushed the dirt and debris off his chest and slowly climbed out of the box, which he now recognized as a coffin.

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. He was in a cemetery, that he knew for certain. His eyes caught on a stone that rested just above the head of the box he had escaped from.

Walking over to it, he looked down at the stone and his breath caught in his throat. He felt his eyes well with tears.

James Potter

March 27, 1960-October 31, 1981

Lily Potter

January 30, 1960-October 31, 1981

_The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death._

James Potter looked down at his grave, unsure of how he should feel: happy that he was alive, or upset that his Lily was lying down below. He was sure of one thing, where was his son? Harry was in that house with him and Lily, but he didn't have a tombstone. Where was Harry Potter?

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**AN: So this is a departure from my usual Sirius/OC. I haven't quite planned out the entire story, but I do have the first few chapters down. Depending on how the reviews go will depend on whether or not I post the remainder. So please let me know how the short prologue sounds. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Wandering Around

**Chapter 1: Wandering Around**

James stayed for a moment, crouched down, staring at the headstone. Then his heart skipped a beat and he jumped up, looking around wildly. _What if Lily was alive down there? What if she was trying to get out right this very second?_ He picked his wand off the ground next to him and stood back from the headstone.

He struggled to remember the spell he wanted, the one that would tell him if Lily were alive beneath him. "Homenum revelio," he said, pointing his wand at the ground. When nothing happened, he collapsed to the ground, tears falling freely down his cheeks. He stayed that way for an hour, letting the tears fall until he had no more left.

After calming his sobs and wiping away the tears, James wandered around the cemetery but came back after a minute to look at the stone above where his beloved Lily lay. He couldn't help but wonder where his friends were. Where was Sirius? Remus? His sister Alana? Harry? What happened to his son? He sobbed silently as he thought of his beloved wife, his Lily. He would never hear her musical laugh again; never again watch her shake her head as he and Sirius planned a new prank or joke.

He knew what happened now. He remembered it clearly. It was Halloween night and they were closed up in their house, still under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Wormtail betrayed their secret. He told Voldemort their address in Godric's Hollow. Voldemort blasted through the door and he, James, told Lily to take Harry and run. He remembered saying that he would hold Voldemort off, but he didn't have his wand. _How stupid_ he thought. He heard Lily run up the stairs to Harry's room and after that, everything went blank. But Lily hadn't made it… so where was Harry?

Sitting by the stone, he watched the stun rise over the trees. He felt the warm rays on his face and listened as the birds chirped their songs, welcoming in the morning. It was then that he said a farewell to his fair Lily flower and wandered slowly out of the cemetery.

He knew he must have been a sight and was thankful it was still too early for many people to be wandering around. He was covered in dirt and twigs; his once beautiful hair was twisted and knotted; his hazel eyes were bloodshot from crying.

He travelled down the road, and his eyes caught sight of a dilapidated house. The house looked a fright; the roof was caved in in places and there were holes blasted through the walls. It was his house, the house he bought for himself and Lily with part of his inheritance. They were going to make a family, have more children, throw parties, and enjoy life. But that didn't happen. James had heard from others that life didn't always turn out as planned, but everything had been going great for him; he had the love of his life as his wife, he had a fantastic son, and a beautiful home. One prophecy took all that away from him.

James walked up to the fence and looked on as a sign rose from the dirt. He had a strange feeling that only he could see the sign rising. His hand reached out and touched the words that were carved into the wood. He read the scribbles that had been written over the plaque; some carved, others written in everlasting ink. The scribbles read positive comments for Harry, encouragement. James silently wondered why his son needed encouragement from strangers. Why was Harry being called "The-Boy-Who-Lived"? Did that mean he was still alive?

He sniffled as he turned away, not wanting to leave the last place he had memories of his Lily. He felt a smile flicker across his face as he remembered when he and Lily first entered the house. He picked her up and carried her across the threshold, laughing. Wiping his eyes, he silently said another good-bye to his flower as he walked down the road.

"I need to find someone. There has to be someone still around. Alana? Sirius?" He still had his wand, could he apparate? James decided to try it… he didn't know how else to locate a friendly face. Lifting his wand, he decided to try to find Alana, his younger sister. She had to be around, had to be still alive.

He held his wand in his right hand and he pictured her home in his mind, picturing exactly how it looked the last time he saw it; the blue siding with the green shutters and the pink curtains in the living room window and blue curtains in her bedroom. Feeling the familiar pulling and the turning in darkness, he shut his eyes and kept his mind on Alana's house.

He grinned when he opened his eyes and saw the house exactly as he remembered it. _How long have I been gone,_ he thought. _Obviously not long enough for her to change anything._

Taking a deep breath, he walked up the sidewalk. Reaching the steps, he placed his right foot on the first step and stopped. _Maybe she's not home? What if she doesn't live here anymore?_

James shook his head, clearing his thoughts and trying to calm his nerves. He stepped up the three small steps and lifted his hand to knock. He rapped lightly twice and lowered his hand. His heart pounded in his chest and his breath caught in his throat as he heard the lock turning from the inside. He ran his hand through his dirt covered hair.

"Yes. Can I help you," he heard her ask softly as she opened the door. He tried to smile but found he was too nervous.

Alana's eyes met his and he heard her gasp. "Who…" she started.

"Hi 'Lana," he said softly. He reached his left hand up to run through his hair again, but stopped halfway, remembering the dirty feeling.

"J…James," she whispered, her hand covering her mouth.

He nodded and had to move quickly for as soon as his head moved, she fell to the floor.

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**AN: Wow! 9 reviews on the first chapter! That's amazing! Thank you so much! I'm glad you've all liked it so far, and I hope this chapter went along well with the prologue. I promise, the next chapter will be much longer than this one was :-) So, you know the drill, please review!**


	3. Proving Oneself

**Chapter 2: Proving Oneself**

James caught her just before her head hit the floor. He picked her up carefully and entered the house. Looking around, he found her couch and rested her gently on the blue chequered cushions.

He sat with her until she woke up, which happened after ten long minutes on his part. When her eyes opened, she jumped and curled herself into a ball as far away from James as she could. Reaching her hand slowly into her robes, she felt her wand in the pocket and clenched her fingers tightly around it.

"Who are you," she asked, her voice wavering on every syllable.

"It's me 'Lana. It's me, James," James said softly. He was trying to keep her as calm as possible. He had seen her hand slide into her robes and grab her wand.

"No," Alana Potter said as she shook her head. "No. James Potter has been dead for sixteen years." She gripped her wand tighter, feeling the ingrain of the handle beneath her fingers.

"Has it really been that long," he asked frowning. "I would have thought only a few months, not sixteen years."

"Who…who are you," she asked again, this time pull the wand out of her robes and resting it on her lap, her fingers still clenched tightly around the holly wand.

James cringed, _she'll use it on me too_ he thought. "No, 'Lana, it's really me," his hands were closed in front of him. "Please believe me."

Alana pointed her want at him, trying to keep her hand from shaking. _It does look exactly like James from sixteen years ago. But it can't be… can it?_

"Please, let me prove it to you. Ask me anything; anything James Potter would know. Please Alana." He pleaded with her, begging her to believe him. He leaned forward in his seat. "Please?" His voice shook and his hazel eyes filled with tears.

Alana pondered for a moment, her mind running through possibilities of questions. She stopped on one question. "Where were Lily and James married," she asked. _Only ten people were there. No one else knew._

James smiled slightly. "That little church in Godric's Hollow, St. Brigit's."

Alana smiled for a second, but quickly frowned. "You could have figured that out. Wormtail was there," she said and James' face flickered with hate at the sound of that name. She paused again. "What did Sirius do to me on my first train ride to Hogwarts?"

James grinned at the memory. "He put a spider down your robes. I laughed for ten minutes, until you hexed me." It was his turn to pause, his smiled fading. "I think I still have the scar if you wanted to see it."

Alana's eyes widened and she nodded. "Which hex did I use?"

James laughed loudly. "That stinging hex of yours. You were always good at that one." He stood up and lifted his shirt, showing her the small scar. It was a small, star shaped scar on his stomach, just to the left of his navel.

She reached out her hand and touched the scar lightly, feeling the raised skin. "Merlin," she exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she stared at his stomach.

James lowered his shirt and stared. "I told you," he whispered. He sat back on the chair and stared out the window. _Sixteen years? That would make Harry seventeen if he were still alive._

"J…James," she asked timidly, looking at his face.

"Yes 'Lana," he replied softly, meeting her eyes.

"You… you're really alive?" Her voice quivered.

He nodded. "I reckon so. My heart is beating and I'm breathing."

Alana jumped out of her seat, as if shocked by an electric charge, and began pacing a circle around her blue living room carpet. "But how," she asked aloud. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named killed you sixteen years ago. I saw your body. I buried you!" The tears flowed down her cheeks but she didn't seem to notice.

"'Lana, I thought we had the discussion about using his name," James said warily, recalling having told her many times before to say the full name, Voldemort.

"You haven't been around," she snapped. "Oh no! I'm so sorry!" She hastily apologized.

James looked taken aback. He hadn't known Alana to snap at people, but sixteen years had passed, she was most likely much different from the person he had known.

She stopped pacing and turned to face him. "The name was taboo, if you spoke it, the Death Eaters could find you and kill you. They figured only Order members would use his name, everyone else was afraid of it. Everybody started calling him that, even the Order." She sighed. "You've missed so much, so much has changed."

Alana sat back on the couch facing her older brother. James looked at her with interest. His younger sister was now sixteen years older than he was, and she looked every bit her age. When they were young, she had always looked younger than her real age and many people mistook her for being much younger than she was; but now, she looked older than her thirty-five years. Her once beautiful, sleek black hair had become dull and her brilliant hazel eyes were lacking their intensity.

"Alana," he asked quietly. "Where's Harry," James asked, not really knowing if he wanted to hear the answer.

She smiled. "He's fine. It's going to take a lot of explaining to tell him about this, but he's fine. I've checked on him for years now, he's fine." She paused. "I think we need to get you to Professor McGonagall. She'll know what to do about this."

"What about Professor Dumbledore," James asked. He naturally assumed Dumbledore would be the first person to go to, not McGonagall.

Alana's smiled fell. "He… he's gone," she said turning away. Her eyes welled with tears as she remembered that fateful night, the first battle at Hogwarts.

"Oh," was all James could say. He couldn't imagine a life without Dumbledore. _What else could have happened if Dumbledore had died? _

"Come on," she said, standing up. "Oh wait, you should probably shower first. Then we'll go to Hogwarts." She took his hand as he stood up. Alana wrapped her arms around his neck and held tightly. James was stunned for a moment but quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around her and holding her just as tightly. "I've missed you so much," she managed to whisper as her tears landed on the shoulder of his green shirt. She buried her face in his shoulder and held tightly, not letting go for fear he might disappear.

The siblings held their embrace for a few minutes, each not wanting to let go. Alana broke first, shaking her head and rubbing the tears from her eyes. "Come on; let's get you in the shower. I'll wash these clothes so you can wear them again until we can get you more."

Alana showed him where the bathroom was, gave him a fluffy blue towel and shut the door so he could undress. Once he was undressed, he opened the door a crack and handed her the clothes. She walked them down to the kitchen and laid them on the table. Casting a cleaning spell, the shirt and pants were quickly rid of the dirt, grime and twigs.

_I should warn Professor McGonagall we're coming_ she thought as she pulled a small container of floo powder off the shelf by the fire. She grabbed a handful and threw it into the fire, watching as the green flames rose. She knelt down and stuck her head in the fireplace as she called out "Minerva McGonagall's office, Hogwarts."

She felt her head rush through, watching the other fireplaces fly by. She was quickly greeted with the legs of a desk in the office. "Professor McGonagall," she called and was greeted with the elder professor kneeling down by her fireplace.

"Yes Miss Potter, what can I do for you today," Minerva asked.

"I wanted to warn you that I'll be coming by shortly…" she paused. "With a guest."

"A guest," Minerva repeated. "What guest?"

"I doubt you'd believe me unless you see it. We should be there within a half an hour, is that okay?"

"Yes, yes of course." Minerva looked down with concern.

"I shall. Thank you and see you again in a few minutes." Alana pulled her head from the fire and shook it, trying to rid herself of the feeling of falling.

Just as she was standing up, James came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. "Can I have my clothes back please?"

Alana laughed and picked up the clothes. "Here," she said. "Did you want anything to eat before we visit Hogwarts?"

James shook his head. "No, I think I'm too nervous to eat." He walked back into the bathroom to change and after putting the clothes back on he returned to the kitchen.

His sister smiled. "Here, sit down for a minute, I have to explain something before we leave." Alana sat at the kitchen table and motioned for her brother to join her.

James had a confused look on his face. "What could you need to explain?"

Alana took a deep breath. "Hogwarts isn't going to look like you remembered it. We had a huge battle yesterday, a…" she sighed, remember the casualties, her best friend and his wife included, but she spared James that news for right now. "A lot of people died and the castle was badly damaged. I'm not going to go into more detail than that until Professor McGonagall sees you and says I can tell you."

She tried to force a smile. "Now, come on. Let's get you to Hogwarts. Then I can try and catch you up on what's happened over the past sixteen years."

"Alana," James started. "Where's Padfoot and Moony?"

James looked over at Alana as the tears welled in her eyes again. "Let us go see Professor McGonagall, hopefully she'll explain," she whispered, trying to will the tears from falling.

Alana grabbed her travelling cloak from the hook by the door and quickly wrapped it around her shoulders, tying the knot around her neck. She took the container of floo powder back off the shelf and grabbed a handful. Handing it to James, she threw the powder into the fireplace and stepped inside. "Minerva McGonagall's office, Hogwarts," she shouted and felt herself pulled in the right direction.

After stopping at the correct gate, she stepped out and waited for James. "Hullo Professor," she said once she noticed the elder woman in the corner.

"G'day Miss Potter. Is your guest on the way?"

"Yes, he should be along in a moment," Alana responded, shifting her eyes to the fireplace. Just then, James Potter stepped out and looked around the office.

Alana turned to face her former professor, a grim look on her face. "Professor McGonagall, I think we might have a situation."

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**AN: This chapter was a bit longer. Thank you to the 7 people who reviewed this past chapter. **

**For those of you who may get a bit confused, James showed up the day after The Battle for Hogwarts (the end of bk 7), so it's a bit overwhelming for Alana, with having Remus and Dora die the day before then her brother showing up.**

**But thank you so much for reviewing! I've never had this large of a response for the beginning of a story. Thanks!!**


	4. But How Are You Here?

**Chapter 3:**** 'But How Are You Here?'**

Minerva McGonagall looked on with interest as a young man stepped out of the fireplace. She gasped when she recognized who the young man was. He had the same messed up hair and the same hazel eyes she had seen sixteen years previous. "James Potter," she asked. Reaching behind her, Minerva McGonagall grabbed the arm of a chair and sat down quite heavily. Her right hand flew to her mouth as she stared at the man in front of her.

"I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I opened my front door this morning and found him on the doorstep," Alana said, sitting down in a hard-backed chair in front of the Transfiguration professor's desk and motioning for James to join her. "I've already checked to make sure it was him and not a Death Eater impersonating him," Alana said softly.

"But…" Minerva stuttered. "But how are you here?" Her eyes flickered up to the portrait above her headmistress' desk.

Alana sat up straight as James began his story. She hadn't asked him how he had escaped the coffin and couldn't imagine waking up in that tiny box with little air. It must have been terrifying, especially for James since he was claustrophobic.

James shrugged. "I woke up sometime last night in the coffin," he shuddered, remembering the trapped feeling and how he panicked. "I found my wand next to me and grabbed it. I shouted a spell and managed to break through the lid. I…" he paused. "I climbed out and realized I was in the cemetery. I checked to see if Lily was alive too, but…" he wiped a tear off his cheek and took a deep breath. "I sat there until the sun came up and then walked down the road. After seeing the house…" he paused again as his voice cracked. "I decided to try apparating and I managed to get to Alana's house." He closed his hands in front of him on his lap, avoiding his former professor's eyes.

Alana reached over, took his right hand in hers and squeezed it. She had no idea what it would have been like to wake up in your own coffin, especially being as claustrophobic as James was.

"Well Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall started. "I assume it would be fine with Miss Potter if you stay with her. We will have to get you checked out at St. Mungo's, but with how everything with the government right now…" she paused. "Have you informed him about what has happened," she asked Alana.

Alana shook her head. "I was waiting to get the okay from you. I didn't want to shock him too much." Her voice was quiet; she was still reeling from the events of the previous day.

"Yes, well Mr. Potter, I suggest you return to Miss Potter's house until we can get you examined at St. Mungo's." She rose from her chair and moved towards the fireplace, picking up a small container of floo powder; Alana and James stood as well.

"Professor, I'd like to see Harry, if that's okay," James asked, suddenly feeling very young compared to his former professor and his sister.

Professor McGonagall smiled a slow, sad smile. "I'm afraid that isn't possible right now. Miss Potter will explain what has happened and then we will discuss seeing Harry. But for right now, I suggest you go home and get some rest. We will let the pieces fall into place." She turned to Alana. "Thank you for alerting me on this new development. I will be sure to get in touch with you soon."

Alana turned to her brother. "I'll meet you back at my house. I need to talk to Professor McGonagall about something." She smiled sadly at James and watched as he threw the floo powder into the fireplace, stepped inside and shouted Alana's address.

Once she was certain he was gone, Alana turned back to her former professor. "Is Harry all right," she asked timidly.

"Certainly. He is resting. I do not know how he will react to this news. It is best to let him regain his strength before telling him."

Alana nodded. "Thank you Professor," she said as she took her own handful of floo powder. "119 Wisteria Drive, Surrey," she shouted after stepping into the fireplace.

Minerva McGonagall turned to the portrait above her desk. The older man smiled and his blue eyes twinkled. "Did you anticipate this happening," she asked the portrait.

"Alas, no, but it is an interesting turn of events," Albus Dumbledore replied, still smiling.

"Well, do you have any ideas on how this has occurred?" Professor McGonagall sighed as she waited for the former headmaster to respond.

"Oh, I have several, each as interesting as the last."

Once Alana landed in her kitchen, she found James watching her from a chair at the kitchen table. "What did you need to her talk about?"

She tried to laugh, to brush off his question. "You aren't my older brother anymore," she said softly.

James nodded, not caring if she was now older than him. "So are you going to tell me about what's happened over the past sixteen years? Or is this going to be another one of those things I find out later, like how my son is?" His eyes were narrow and his lips were drawn into a thin, straight line.

Alana sighed. "James, you don't understand. So much has happened; so much has changed!"

"Then tell me! Tell me what's changed. Or better yet, get Moony over here; he can explain things better than you usually." He smirked slightly, taking a slight dig at his sister.

Once again, Alana's eyes welled with tears. "Oh James, I'm the only one left. No one else is alive," she whispered. She collapsed into one of her kitchen chairs and rested her head in her hands. Her shoulders were racked with sobs and her entire frame shook.

"'Lana, what are you talking about? What do you mean you're the only one left? Who's dead?" James asked, his brow furrowed with confusion. _Surely Sirius and Remus aren't gone… they can't be dead._

She shook her head, unable to talk. "They…they're all gone. Sirius, Moony, Wormtail… everyone's gone." Alana managed to get the sentence out softly, but continued to sob uncontrollably.

James collapsed in the chair next to his sister. _How could they be…_ he couldn't even bear to finish the thought. His breath caught in his throat and he clutched at his chest; his heart ached, a pulling and tearing he hadn't felt before. _Everyone was gone… Lily, Sirius, Remus, everyone but Alana and Harry._

"'Lana… what happened," he managed to ask.

She looked up, her hazel eyes bloodshot and her cheeks stained with tears. "Would you like a cup of tea? I might make things a bit easier." She rose and began to fix the warm cup of tea. After steeping the leaves and adding the sugar and cream, she placed one cup in front of James and one at her chair.

"I… I should probably start at the beginning," she whispered.

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**AN: Sorry this is a bit short than the previous chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review on your way out!**


	5. Recalling the Past

**Chapter 4:**** Recalling the Past**

"The beginning might be a good place to start," James said slowly. His mind was still running in circles, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. He tried to keep his eyes on her, but she avoided him.

Alana took a deep breath and a sip of her tea. She had made wild berry tea, her favourite. It always calmed her, helped her relax. "Well, it was early Sunday morning, when Moony came by here. I opened the door, gasped and nearly fainted. He looked awful; his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. He came in and took my hand, leading us to the couch. He sat us down and kept my hand, holding it tightly in his." She stopped and looked quickly into James' eyes and just as quickly looked away.

"He… he told me what happened; told me that You-Know-Who had found your whereabouts; that he had…" she brushed a tear from her cheek. "That he killed you and Lily, but that Harry was still alive." She looked up, meeting his eyes again. "He said that Sirius was your Secret Keeper and that he was a spy."

James looked up, outraged. "That wasn't true at all! Sirius was our Secret Keeper, but he convinced me to change to Wormtail. Sirius said that no one would suspect that… that rat as being our Keeper."

Alana smiled sadly. "We know that now, but how were we to know you changed? I had a feeling, but I kept it to myself.

"I went later that afternoon to check with Professor Dumbledore about Harry. I wanted him to come and live with me. I figured this would be the best place for him, seeing as I was his closest living magical relative, and I felt I could best protect him."

"Well, if Harry didn't come live with you, where did he go? Who was left to take care of him? Did Sirius get him?" James still looked confused.

Alana sighed again. "They threw Sirius in Azkaban. I guess he went to check on Peter and found that he wasn't at his safe-house. So he went to see you and when he got there…" she stopped. "Anyways, he went to find Peter and ended up getting arrested for killing Peter and twelve muggles. He didn't do it, but we didn't find that out until much later."

James shook his head. So much had happened, and that was only within the first few days after Halloween. That didn't even include what happened in the previous few years. He picked up his tea cup and took a large sip, hoping that the warm, fruity taste would keep him calm.

"Professor Dumbledore thought Harry would be safest with Lily's sister," she whispered, waiting for the outburst she knew was coming.

"He WHAT," James exclaimed standing up from his chair. He was outraged. _How could Dumbledore let Harry stay there? She hated Lily!_

"Now, wait, let me explain," Alana started, trying to get James to sit back in his chair. "We didn't find this out until later. When You-Know-Who went to your house, he meant to kill you, but Lily could have survived. All she had to do was let him kill Harry. Well she wasn't going to do that so she let herself be killed to protect him. Apparently, this forged some ancient magic and Harry was protected from the Killing Curse." James opened his mouth to say something, but Alana held up her hand.

"When You-Know-Who tried to kill Harry, the curse backfired, causing You-Know-Who to vanish. He disappeared that night and no one knew what happened until much later. People celebrated for days afterward. They started calling Harry…"

"The-Boy-Who-Lived," James finished, a look of clarity coming over his face.

"Exactly. How did you know that," Alana asked, meeting his eyes for the first time in a half hour.

James sighed. "I saw my house; I saw the sign they put up. People have written comments all over it; some carved into the wood, some written in ink."

Alana nodded. "I saw," she said softly. Her gaze travelled around the room, she watched the blue chequered curtains billow in the warm summer breeze. The sun was setting now and Alana couldn't believe that it was still the same day. The hours seemed to drag by.

She looked over at her brother and caught him yawning slightly into his hand. "Would you like to go to sleep? We have plenty of time to go over the rest tomorrow. I don't want you to overexert yourself today."

He yawned again and smiled slightly. "I guess you're right."

Alana stood up and took his hand. "Come on; I'll show you where the spare room is." She led him up the stairs and took him into her spare room.

James looked around as he stepped inside, taking in the surroundings. The two windows were draped white and lavender curtains; the oak bed was covered with a white bedspread with tiny lavender flowers. He smiled at the pictures in the frames on the walls. There were old family portraits, pictures from their days at school, and one picture of a young boy who strongly resembled James.

Alana caught him looking. "That's Harry," she whispered. "He looks exactly like you, save Lily's eyes. Just like we always thought he would." She went into the closet and pulled out a large pair of men's sweatpants and an old tee shirt. "You can use these to sleep in." She tossed the clothes onto the bed.

"Hey… I… wow," she felt her cheeks getting red with blush. "Let's try this again." She sat down on the bed and James sat next to her. "I can't even imagine what you must be thinking. But you know I always listen, so my bedroom is the next one down. If you need me, don't worry about waking me up." She leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you so much James." She kissed his cheek, stood up and walked out, shutting the door behind her.

James stared at her retreating form. It was the first time he was alone since leaving his destroyed house. He stared at the wall as memories of his Lily played around in his head. He remembered when he proposed, down by the lake the day before Graduation; he remembered their wedding day, how beautiful she looked walking down the aisle; he remembered the day Harry was born, and how she looked so beautiful holding their son in her arms; and finally he remembered that Halloween, and how she was always so strong, even when he wasn't.

For the first time since climbing out of the coffin, James let himself completely break down. He had cried and sobbed uncontrollably at the cemetery, but he hadn't let go. Now, he shouted and screamed, cursing whatever God was above for letting him come back but not his beloved.

Alana stood outside the door, listening to her brother's cries. She felt awful, useless. She couldn't think of any way to help him; there was nothing that would help cure his pain. She had sixteen years to deal with the death of Lily, two years to get over Sirius… and one entire day for Moony. Alana Potter collapsed to the ground outside the spare bedroom door. She cried, not only for her brother and his situation, but for her best friend and his wife, who left their only child an orphan.

"How can I tell James," she whispered through her tears. "How can I tell him what happened?"

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**AN: Sorry for the slight delay in updating. I was updating everyday, but I've had a lot of things going on with school, so I had to put that first. But that was chapter 4. I hope you liked it. If there is anything you think I should change, let me know! Please leave a review on your way out!**


	6. A Trip Through Memory Lane

**Chapter 5:**** A Trip through Memory Lane**

Alana woke up the next morning, almost hoping that the previous day had been a dream. When she entered the kitchen, she realized that it was not, in fact, a dream. Her formerly deceased brother was sitting at the kitchen table with a large cup of tea. Alana was sure that if she had some, James would be drinking a large glass of firewhisky instead.

"Good morning," Alana said, fixing her own cup of warm tea.

James nodded in Alana's general direction but kept his head down. He knew his eyes were bloodshot and his hair was standing up in every direction. It wasn't the morning for small talk; he simply wasn't in the mood. He had spent half the night crying, even screaming at some points.

Sitting down at the table, Alana waited for James to start the conversation. She didn't want to bring up last night; didn't want to mention she had heard him screaming. It was hard enough to listen to his cries, let alone mention it. She had never heard her brother cry, until last night.

The siblings sat in silence; James wanting to be alone and Alana waiting for James to make the first move. Finally, after finishing her tea, Alana rose to take her own shower and left James alone in the kitchen, his mind racing with thoughts.

James barely registered that Alana had left, letting him alone to his thoughts. He desperately wanted to hear more about what had happened over the past sixteen years, but he didn't think he could handle it. It was difficult enough just knowing that Lily, Padfoot and Moony were gone, he didn't really want to know how.

He finished his tea and moved to the living room, where he waited for Alana to finish her shower. He wanted to hear the rest, no, needed to hear the rest. What happened to his best friends? Why couldn't he see his son?

Alana came in a few minutes later, her black hair wrapped up in another fluffy blue towel. She had changed out of her pyjamas and into her favourite pair of worn jeans and an old Weird Sister's tee-shirt. Removing the towel, she rubbed her hair dry, causing it to stand up in several directions, similarly to how James' looked that very moment.

"Hi," she said as she sat on the couch. She kept her hands folded in her lap, resisting the urge to play with the hole in her shirt hem.

"Do you care to continue your trip through memory lane," James asked quietly. He didn't want to push her, but he needed to hear what had happened. It was horrid not knowing what had happened.

Alana sighed. "No, but you need to hear it." She shifted position so her back was against the armrest and she was facing James.

She took a deep breath and told herself she would give him the abridged version. "So Professor Dumbledore took Harry to live with those muggles and I was stuck alone. There was no you and Lily, no Sirius and now no Harry. I tried to write Petunia so I could try and see him; I even called Vernon when Harry got older to see if I could talk to him. But Petunia didn't answer the letters and Vernon shouted then hung up.

"I still had my job tutoring neighbourhood children, so I did that for eleven years until Harry was admitted to Hogwarts. I didn't get to see him until the end of his first year. Professor Dumbledore said it wouldn't be a good idea." She grinned. "I did send him his first real broomstick though, a Nimbus 2000, the newest model at the time."

James grinned in spite of himself. "Well, I guess if Lily and I couldn't give it to him, at least someone in the family did."

"I'll let Harry go over the details of his years at school when you see him. But at the end of his first year, there was a bit of a problem. The Defence against the Dark Arts Professor was, how shall I say… playing servant to You-Know-Who." Alana looked away from her brother. "Harry… was injured…"

"What do you mean, 'he was injured? What happened? How badly?" James interrupted her angrily.

Alana waved away his question. "Harry'll answer that later."

James glared at her. "Could you at least tell me how badly he was hurt?"

"He's fine now, what does it matter." As soon as the statement was out of her mouth, she knew she would regret it. She cowered slightly as James' face grew redder. He tried to keep his temper under control, and managed, but just barely.

"And after Harry was… injured… what else were you going to say," James asked through gritted teeth.

Alana sat back up in her chair. "Harry spent some time in the hospital wing and Professor Dumbledore said I could go and introduce myself. He couldn't come with me to live, but at least he would know that he had another relative aside from the Dursley's."

"How'd he take that," James asked quietly. "Was he angry?"

Alana smiled. "A bit. He was more upset with the fact that he couldn't come live with me. But after I explained why I couldn't talk to him sooner, he was a bit better. Nasty muggles those Dursley's are."

James laughed. "I only met Petunia once, but she wasn't very pleasant to Lily so I hated her from the start."

"She's an awful woman. I stopped by to see Harry a couple of times over the summers, and she wouldn't let me in. I had to wait on the porch for Harry to come out. But anyway, on with the story." She leaned back against the armrest, making herself comfortable. "I'll let him tell you about his second year; it's more interesting that way." Alana smiled and the look that had crossed James' face. He was annoyed, and she knew it.

"But in the summer of '93, I was walking in Diagon Alley and saw a wanted poster. I nearly fainted at the sight…"

"Well, who was it," James interrupted.

"Impatient, much," she said as she smiled again. "Sirius escaped from Azkaban."

James sat up straighter. "How the bloody hell did he do that? No one's ever escaped from Azkaban." He stopped. "He was there for thirteen years?

"Well, twelve actually, but yeah. He was the first one to escape. Of all the prisoners, he would be the one to do it."

"But how?"

"He kept transforming into his animagus form. After so many years he was so skinny, he just slipped through the bars in the cell and swam to the mainland. Apparently he had found out that Wormtail was still alive, so he escaped to try and kill him. He almost succeeded too, but Wormtail got away at the last moment." Alana grinned. "Moony was teaching at Hogwarts that year."

James sat up and felt the grin rise across his face. "Moony was a teacher?"

Alana nodded. "Only for that year. Dumbledore had a feeling something was going to happen since Sirius had escaped so he hired Moony to teach Defence against the Dark Arts. At the end of the year, someone let it slip that he was a werewolf so he resigned. Everyone who was at school at that time said he was the best Defence teacher they had."

James nodded. "I always knew he would make a great teacher."

"Back to the story. So Sirius managed to track down Wormtail to Hogwarts and almost caught him, but it was a full moon that night…" she trailed off and recognition showed on James' face. "The ministry almost caught Sirius, but Harry's best friend Hermione had a time turner and was able to go back in time and save him."

"That's great. How did H… Hermione did you say? How did she have a time turner?"

Alana laughed. "Apparently she's the Lily of Harry's time. She was always top of her class, brightest witch of her year. Professor McGonagall wrote letters to the ministry for her to have special permission. She was taking every class they offered: Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, all of them."

James' jaw dropped. "Wow," was all he was able to say.

Nodding, Alana laughed again. "Well, there's more to that year, but I'll let Harry fill in the details, especially since I don't know them all. In his fourth year, they reinstated the Triwizard Tournament…" she paused, knowing James would have an interruption.

And as if on schedule, his mouth opened. "They what? The Triwizard Tournament? People die doing that!"

"They do. They did," she said softly. Shaking her head, she recollected her thoughts. "Professor Dumbledore said that only students of age could participate, which a very good idea was. However, someone bewitched the impartial judge to thinking there was a fourth school involved and put Harry's name in."

"They what? Let me guess, you'll let Harry explain about the Tournament and the tasks," James said with a hint of annoyance.

Alana nodded. "I have to. He never told me about what happened. All I know is the basics. The first task was to get past a dragon, the second was to rescue someone from the lake and the final task was to get through a maze and reach the Triwizard Cup. Everything was fine until the third task."

"What happened?" James had begun to lean forward on the couch.

"Harry and another student, the Hogwarts Champion reached the cup and both grabbed it at the same time. The cup ended up being a portkey and transported them to a graveyard. Wormtail was there… he… he killed the other boy, right in front of Harry. Then… I really don't know what happened exactly, but Wormtail took some of Harry's blood and somehow, You-Know-Who came back."

James opened his mouth, but Alana held up her hand. "I need to finish this and I can't if you're going to interrupt me. Ask questions at the end." Her tone became short and snippy. James couldn't imagine what else had happened, there was already more than he imagined.

"After that happened, Professor Dumbledore reformed the Order. We used Sirius' parent's house as Headquarters and Sirius lived there. Long story short…" Alana's voice began to tremble as she reached the part of the story she didn't want to tell.

"Harry found out about the prophecy. He was getting visions from You-Know-Who and he acted on one. He… Harry saw Sirius being held in the Department of Mysteries so he went to rescue him with some of his friends…" she trailed off again, fighting back the urge to cry. "We found out where Harry went and tried to rescue him and his friends." The tears were beginning to fall from her hazel eyes and she struggled to continue. "Sirius went with us… even though we told him not to. His cousin Bellatrix had escaped from Azkaban and he was duelling her. She… she shot a spell at him… he fell… he went through this veil thing…" Alana broke and the words unable to be spoken.

James fell back against the couch, his jaw open in shock.

"I… Moony and I… we… Moony caught Harry before he went through after him… I couldn't move."

James continued to stare at his younger sister. They both sat in silence: Alana reliving the awful memories and James, trying not to see the events in his mind. James moved his gaze to the wall; he couldn't believe his best friend was gone, his brother, his best mate. It was several minutes before either of them spoke again.

"At least he died doing something good. It's what he would have wanted," James said softly, still not moving his gaze from the wall. It was impossible to describe how he felt at that moment. Alana had already told him that Padfoot was… he couldn't bear to even think the word. But actually hearing about how it happened… he could picture it in his mind.

Alana nodded again. Her sobs had subsided and she quietly let the tears roll down her cheeks. "Moony and I had a quiet memorial service for him; it was just us and The Order." She stopped and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. "I really miss him. He always knew just how to cheer me up and it just doesn't seem right without him here."

James nodded, not trusting his voice with speech. "I'm going to shower," he whispered. He stood and walked quietly out of the room, leaving Alana to herself.

Alana remained in the living room after James had left and sighed. She hated remembering her friend, hated knowing how his final days were. He was trapped in that house he hated; trapped, alone. All Sirius wanted was to leave that house; to go out and see the sun. He never said it, but Alana was sure it's what he thought; he would have rather been living on the run eating rats than living in that house.

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**AN: Sorry for the delay in updates! I'm in major stress mode with work and finishing the plans for my wedding. Hope you enjoyed this... well it's hard to enjoy something to negative. Please leave a review it'll make me happy!**


	7. A Trip Through Memory Lane pt 2

**Chapter 6:**** A Trip through Memory Lane pt. 2**

Once in the bathroom, he collapsed against the door. He didn't cry, no, he wouldn't have wanted Sirius to cry over him. All James could think about was how Sirius managed to survive Azkaban, but be killed by a veil; the amazing Sirius Black was killed by a piece of drapery. He sat there, against the bathroom door, for what seemed like an hour until he finally got up and turned on the tap. Stepping into the shower, he let the hot water rush over him, through his hair and down his back.

James came out of the bathroom and sat back on the couch next to his sister. They sat quietly for another few minutes, each letting their own thoughts cover their consciousness.

"The ministry now knew that You-Know-Who was back and they started sending out leaflets like they did the first time. Only now they were more in depth, like how to recognize an Inferi or something like that." Alana spoke softly, determined to finish the story of what had happened. She took a deep breath and continued. "Professor Dumbledore began giving Harry private lessons…on what, I haven't a clue. Harry still hasn't told me what they were about. But at the end of that school year, there was a Battle at the castle. Death Eaters managed to get into the school and the Order was quickly summoned to help fight.

"I was fighting somewhere with Moony, I can't remember where. All I remember is the afterward. The two of us went up to the hospital wing to see Bill Weasley; he had been bitten by Greyback. Thankfully it wasn't a full moon, so Bill won't be a full werewolf. Harry was there too, he… he told us that Professor Dumbledore… Snape killed him. He… he was gone."

Again, James was speechless. He stared at his sister. "Snivellius? Snivellius killed Professor Dumbledore? Wasn't he a Death Eater? What was he doing around Hogwarts anyway?"

"Professor Dumbledore believed that he had changed. So he gave him a job as Potions Master up until that very year. That year, he took over the Defence against the Dark Arts position. Snape had been working there for fifteen years." She paused, thinking her next words carefully. "I tend to agree with Dumbledore. I just don't believe he was that evil."

James gave her a look and she shrugged her shoulders. It was hard to imagine Severus Snape as anything but a Death Eater.

"Moony got married," she said a smile slowly forming on her face. James stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "He married Sirius' cousin Nymphadora Tonks. You remember her. Pink hair, always knocking things over. They umm… they have… had a son." She smiled again, a mere upturning of her lips, a smile that never quite reached her eyes.

"After Professor Dumbledore's death, well, everything just broke. I mean, Sirius was gone and now Dumbledore too. After Bill Weasley's wedding, Harry and his two friends disappeared." Alana stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. "He was okay, but…" she stopped again, silently debating whether or not to tell him. "You-Know-Who claimed power. He murdered the Minister and put one of his puppets into place. They were rounding up muggleborns and claiming that they stole their magic from a witch or wizard. Everyone who wasn't at least a half-blood was in danger.

"Harry told me that Professor Dumbledore left him a mission that he had to take care of. Hermione and Ron his two best friends, knew about it and decided to come with him. I didn't hear from him until a couple days ago. We had no idea where he was. Moony and I were so worried." Alana paused, wiping the tears away that had begun to fill her eyes.

"Alana," James said softly. Alana snapped her head up; she hadn't heard him speak for at least a half an hour. "What happened to Moony?"

She gazed at her brother, total sadness crossed her face. "We… there was a huge battle at Hogwarts the other day. I mentioned that. The entire order, the professors and all the students who were over age against You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. Harry had come back to Hogwarts and he was looking for something. By going through the chain, the Order was alerted and Moony came to get me. We raced to Hogsmeade and into Hog's Head." She smiled again at the look on James' face. "There was a passageway into the school. It just… appeared I guess.

"We raced into the school and immediately started fighting. Moony started duelling Dolohov and I found someone, I don't remember his name. Everything after that is a blur. I don't remember much. All I remember is turning around and seeing Dora come running at Moony. He had told her to stay at home with their son but she didn't. Never listens, that one." Alana's voice broke and she rose from her seat and walked quickly to the bathroom. She grabbed a handful of tissues and walked back. Blowing her nose, she felt James reach over and place his hand on her leg. It was the most comforting feeling and she hadn't realized how much she missed it.

"I turned around and Dora was running towards him. She… she didn't see the spell. Neither of them did. They… they hugged and by the time I screamed for them to move, they were hit by two different killing curses." Alana's voice wavered, cracking with emotion.

"I… I saw them fall. They… they still had the smiles on their faces. After they fell, I tried to run over to them, but I couldn't. Dolohov… I had to get revenge. But as I started to move towards him, to fight him, You-Know-Who called a ceasefire. I… I helped some students carry them into the Great Hall. We were setting that up as a… morgue and recovery room. There were so many dead."

James looked into his younger sister's face. He never wanted to see what he saw in her eyes again. She was haunted, haunted by the images of her friends dying in front of her. "Alana…" he trailed off, unable to put into words what he wanted to say.

She wiped the tears from her eyes again. "I know. I know." She sniffled, blew her nose into a tissue again, and smiled sadly. "And now you're caught up. That's everything that's happened in the past sixteen years."

James stared. "Well, that's everything except what Harry has to tell me." He ran his hand through his hair.

"Are… are you okay?" Alana asked quietly, still trying to dry her eyes.

He shrugged. "How can I be okay when I've just been told almost everyone I care about is gone? I think I'm just still in shock."

Alana glanced at the blue clock on her wall. "Oh dear. I hate to leave you James, but…" she paused. "We're having a memorial service for Dora and Moony today. I… You…"

He frowned. "I know, I can't come. No one would know what to make of me. I'll just stay here and… sort through everything I guess."

Alana smiled sadly at her brother. "I'll give Teddy a kiss for you."

James looked at her quizzically. "Who's Teddy?"

"Oh! I forgot. Moony and Dora's son. They named his Teddy Remus Lupin, after her father, Ted Tonks and Moony."

James smiled. "We have a new generation of Marauders. It's too bad Padfoot didn't have any kids or…" he trailed off and Alana knew who he was thinking of.

She tried to play it off. "No, I haven't had any children either. So no Marauders from my end either."

Alana rose from the couch and stood in front of her brother. She bent down slightly and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry for overwhelming you, but once I got started, I had to get it out or I would never have finished."

James nodded. "It's all right. Go get freshened up. I'll sit here and wait I suppose."

Alana left James alone in the living room. She slowly climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Upon arriving, she quietly shut the door and collapsed against it. She kept seeing flashes of Moony and Dora; watching them running towards each other, get hit with the spell then fall to the ground. She could still picture the smiles that were on their faces.

She remembered screaming. She screamed his name and then hers. Her final remaining friend. The last one in their group was gone. He was the one person she always expected to be around, to always be there for her. And now his son, tiny infant Teddy was an orphan. The war started and ended the same way, with an orphan. It began with Harry and ended with Teddy.

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**AN: Again, I'm awfully stressed out right now with work and finishing the plans for my wedding. I'll try and have another chapter up soon, but I can't promise anything. we finish school next Thursday (my 1st year teaching is almost over!).**

**I know, everything came out fast in this chapter. But I figured, Alana would try to get everything out as fast as possible rather than reliving the experience in slow motion. Thanks for reading and please click the little button below! Criticism always accepted!**


	8. A Memorial and a Healer

**Chapter 7:**** A Memorial and a Healer**

Alana arrived at the Weasley's home where the memorial service for Remus & Dora Lupin, along with the numerous other causalities, was being held. She smiled at her fellow Order members as she entered the main room. Looking around, she caught Arthur Weasley's eye and she made her way slowly to where he was standing.

"Hi Arthur," she said softly as she hugged him. "How are you doing?"

Arthur sighed. "As best as we can. It's difficult without…" he trailed off. "Well you know."

Alana nodded. She may have lost her best friend, but Arthur had lost his son. "Is George okay? I can't even imagine…" She paused. "If there's anything I can do…"

"George will never be fully okay. And thank you for the offer." Arthur smiled sadly down at her. He had aged in the previous few days, they all had. There had been so much death and destruction surrounding them. Anyone who wasn't impacted by the battle was lucky or alone.

Alana moved away from Arthur and sat in a chair alone in a corner. She sat quietly, observing the people that were coming and going all the while thinking about her brother. _How could he come back after so many years? What caused this to happen?_

"Are you okay Miss Potter?" Ginny asked as she sat down in a chair next to her.

"Yes," Alana smiled, turning to the young girl. "And I've asked you at least a dozen times, please call me Alana. How are you doing?"

Ginny forced a smile. "I don't think it's hit me yet. I… I don't know what we're going to do."

"Is Harry okay? I have to stop in to see him tomorrow. He's still in the hospital wing right?"

"Yes. He took losing Professor Lupin pretty hard. He's worried about Teddy and what's going to happen to him."

Alana nodded. "I'll stop in to see him tomorrow." She bit back the words she wanted to say. She wanted to tell Ginny about James, but she couldn't; she couldn't tell anyone yet.

"I have to go. I need to see Professor McGonagall about something. It was nice to see you Ginny. Give your mum a kiss for me, okay."

Ginny smiled and Alana walked away. She stopped at the kitchen table and stared at the pictures that were resting on the top. In the centre was a picture of Fred surrounded by Moony and Dora, Mad-Eye and many other people that Alana didn't know. She smiled at the picture of her best friend, remembering many of the fun times they had laughing at James and Sirius' pranks.

Alana made her way out the door without being talked to by any more Order members or mourners. She walked slowly down the road, out of range of the protection still around the burrow, and apparated back to her house. She quietly opened the front door, hoping that James was taking a nap and not in the living room.

"You weren't gone long," said a voice softly when she shut the door.

Shaking her head, she walked further into her house. "No. I couldn't stay any longer. The Weasley's lost their son Fred, one of the twins. I can't take their grief on top of my own. Is that selfish?" She collapsed onto the couch next to her brother and leaned against his shoulder. "Am I selfish for not wanting to help them right now?"

James shook his head. "No. You've lost a lot in this war. You have a right to want to be alone right now. There's a lot on your mind right now." James wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He kissed her forehead as she sighed.

"Thank you James. I really needed that. No one's been around to hold me close and kiss my forehead." She smiled again and squeezed him lightly. "I miss having someone to kiss away all the problems. Mum used to then you did. I've been on my own for sixteen years…" she trailed off, immersed in her thoughts.

"Miss Potter," called a voice from the kitchen. Alana and James rose from their seats on the couch and walked into the kitchen. Minerva McGonagall's head was sticking out of the fireplace and the Potter siblings knelt down on the floor in front of the green flames.

"How can we help you Professor?" Alana felt James reach his hand over and grasp hers tightly. She squeezed back, trying to reassure him over whatever thoughts he was thinking.

"St. Mungo's Hospital has been alerted to the… new discovery. As soon as you are able, the head Healer Thompson I believe his name was, would like you and Mr. Potter to go to the hospital so Mr. Potter can be checked out by a medical professional." Professor McGonagall smiled faintly, only just enough to see the corner of her lips upturn.

"Everything will be fine Mr. Potter. Do not worry at all. Now if you'll excuse me I have some business to attend to. Good day." Professor McGonagall pulled her head out of the fireplace, leaving Alana and James to stare at the remnants of the green flames.

Alana rocked back on her heels and sighed. "Well, would you like to get this over with now? Or wait until tomorrow?"

"I think today might be the best option. The sooner I get this done, the sooner I can see Harry, right?"

Alana smiled. "Right. Oh, I almost forgot." She jumped up and ran out of the room. A few seconds later she returned with a shopping bag. "I bought some clothes for you this morning. I reckoned you'd rather not wear those anymore." Her voice was soft as she remembered what clothes he was still wearing.

"Thanks 'Lana. I'll go change and then we can leave, okay?" James took the shopping bag and retired to the bathroom. After changing out of his funeral attire, he emerged, giving Alana a strange look.

"Why did you buy me muggle clothes?" James looked down at his blue jeans and button up shirt in confusion. "A robe would have been fine."

"Everyone wears muggle clothes these days. It's easier to blend in when necessary. And right now I think we need to blend you in as best as possible, considering you're supposed to be dead."

James nodded and took Alana's hand. "Are you strong enough to apparate us both to St. Mungo's? I don't think I have the strength yet." She nodded and picked up a pair of sunglasses from the kitchen table.

"Here, wear these. It'll give you a bit of disguise in case we run into someone I know or you used to know."

Alana held tightly to his hand. She shut her eyes and squeezed his hand reassuringly. Picturing the neighbourhood clearly in her mind, she soon felt the familiar twisting in the darkness. When her eyes opened, she saw the vacant storefront that was the cover for the hospital.

She quickly dragged James up to the mannequin in the window. "Yes, Alana Potter and guest to see Healer Thompson. It's an important matter."

Two nametags emerged from the window and Alana picked them up, placing one on her jacket and the other on James' shirt. She took a quick glance around, making sure no one was watching, then she and James stepped quickly through the window.

Looking around, they quickly found the help desk. Alana walked hastily to the desk and smiled politely to the medi-witch. "How can I help you?" The witch droned monotonously.

"Yes Alana Potter and guest to see Healer Thompson. Can you tell me where his office is?"

"Up the stairs and to the right. On the left side you'll see a door with a nametag on it. The nametag will read Healer Thompson."

"Thank you," Alana said, still holding James' hand. "It's this way," she whispered.

"I heard him," James whispered back, his voice took on a laughing tone.

He kept his head down and let Alana lead. The last thing they needed was to run into an old classmate of hers, or worse, his. They walked down the hallway and up a flight of stairs. On the left hand side was the nametag with the name Healer Thompson.

Alana knocked lightly on the door and it was quickly opened revealing an older gentlemen with graying hair. "Yes, Miss Potter. Minerva said you'd be coming by today. This must be…"

"Please sir, if you don't mind. May we come in?" Alana glanced around nervously, still holding her brother's hand tightly. She didn't want to remain in the open any longer than she had to. Keeping James safe was her main thought and she couldn't do that standing in the middle of the busiest wizard hospital in all of Europe.

"Yes, yes of course. Please have a seat." Healer Thompson stepped aside and let them enter. He gestured to the pair of seats in front of his desk.

After Alana and James had settled themselves down in the chairs, Healer Thompson took his chair behind the desk. He linked his fingers together and rested his elbows on the desk. "Now, Miss Potter could you and your… guest, please tell me exactly what happened the other night?"

Alana nodded to James who retold the story for the second time. He managed to keep his calm while recounting waking up in the coffin. Alana noticed he left out the part about checking to see if Lily was alive and about sitting by the grave for hours.

All the while James was recounting his story, the Healer was looking on with great interest. He remained silent until James had finished. Nodding, he sat back in his chair, his hands moving to rest in his lap. "I was good friends with Albus, I'm sure you're very familiar with Albus Dumbledore?" He started and without waiting for a response, continued with his thought. "Yes, well…" The Healer continued to talk, leaving Alana and James to yawn inconspicuously.

"Well Mr. Potter, may I call you Mr. Potter? Yes, good." Healer Thompson rose from his chair and walked over to where James was seated. "Now I'm just going to check your pulse and cast a few spells, just making sure all your vital organs are working properly."

He pulled his wand from his inside jacket pocket and murmured a few spells. A few sparks flew from his wand in multiple colours. Alana and James sat quietly, waiting to hear from the healer that everything was fine.

"Miss Potter, would you please excuse us? I want to do one last look over of Mr. Potter and I believe it might be easier if you were not present." Healer Thompson moved towards the door, gesturing for Alana to exit.

Alana looked over at James. "Will you be all right? I'll stay if you want me to."

James shook his head. "I should be fine. Just stand outside the door please?" He whispered the last sentence. It wasn't that he didn't trust the healer, he just needed to make sure someone else was around who knew about him and the situation.

Standing up, she bent down slightly and kissed her brother's forehead. I'll be right outside. Don't hesitate to call for me." Alana walked out the door and leaned against the wall. She took deep breathes, trying to keep herself calm. "Oh, I hope he's okay," she whispered to herself.

Back inside the room, James remained in his seat. He twiddled his thumbs in his lap, waiting for the Healer to speak again.

"Please don't be alarmed Mr. Potter. I just need to examine you and I thought it might be a bit easier without your sister in the room. Could you please stand and dress in this gown? I'll step outside while you undress." Healer Thompson opened the door and stepped out to the hallway where Alana was standing.

"Miss Potter, how long as James been with you?" The healer looked down at her over the top of his glasses.

"He showed up on my doorstep yesterday. According to him he woke up the night before…" Alana stopped, her eyes widening. "Sir, do you have any ideas on why he's here?"

"I do not, however I'm sure Minerva McGonagall has been speaking with Albus' portrait and he has several, very interesting ideas. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish examining him."

Healer Thompson walked back into his office. "Ah yes, Mr. Potter. I know this is difficult, but do you remember where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named cursed you?"

James thought for a moment. "I believe the curse hit me here," he pointed to a spot just below his heart. "I remember feeling a sharp pain… and then nothing. Everything went black until I woke up in…" he trailed off.

Nodding, the Healer looked on in interest. "May I lift your shirt?"

It was James' turn to nod and he moved his arm so that the shirt could be lifted up slightly. The Healer moved his fingers across the scar that had formed on James' chest, just above his heart. "This was it?" He asked and James nodded again.

"Yes, well Mr. Potter, you appear to be in perfect health, considering you were deceased not three days ago. You may get dressed again and I'll bring your sister back."

Healer Thompson left James alone in his office again as he went out to talk with Alana. "Everything seems to be fine," he said shutting the door softly behind him. "Your guest seems to be in perfect health. There appear to be no ill side effects of the curse." He paused for a moment and contemplated his next question. "Does he know about his son?"

Alana nodded. "I've caught him up on what's happened over the past sixteen years, but no one outside of you and Professor McGonagall know he's alive. I'm trying to come up with the best way to share that information with my nephew."

"Do that great care in planning the best way. Now let's go back into my office and we can get you both ready to leave." Healer Thompson opened the door and Alana walked inside, moving close to James. She took his hand and the two sat back in the chairs.

"Well Mr. Potter, you are in perfect health. I can't find any ill effects of the curse, but I will have Miss Potter keep a close eye on your for the next few days, just to be sure. I must advise against any strenuous activity. Please try to keep your blood pressure down, until we are perfectly sure that you are back to full strength." The healer rose as did Alana and James. "Thank you for coming in. You may apparate from my office. It will be much easier than walking through the hospital and outside. Take care, both of you."

The siblings shook hands and James took Alana's hand gently. Alana shut her eyes and concentrated on her house. When they opened their eyes, they were in Alana's living room. She smiled at the familiar curtains and photos.

"I think I'm going to lie down and rest for a while," James said softly, letting Alana's hand fall back to her side.

"All right, I'll be right here." Alana watched as James silently left the room. Her heart ached, knowing she couldn't help him cope; she couldn't help him deal with the news on his best friends. She sat down heavily on the couch and said a silent prayer for her brother and nephew.

* * *

**AN: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! This will most likely be the last one until after I get back from my honeymoon. As awful as it sounds, I'll probably have my laptop with me and write while I'm in the hotel room! Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review on your way out!**


	9. Preparing for the Meeting

**Chapter ****8: Preparing for the Meeting**

"James," Alana called as she knocked softly on the door to his bedroom. "James, are you awake?"

James rolled over on the bed and wiped his eyes. "Yes 'Lana. I'm awake."

His sister smiled as she opened the door all the way and stepped inside. "Oh good. She moved to sit on the bed and motioned for him to join her. "James," she began, not quite sure how to broach the subject.

James smiled. "What Alana?"

"I don't want you to get your hopes up. Harry most likely won't be the most receptive person on this subject. He… he's not the most understanding teenager."

"Alana, when do teenagers understand?" Alana nodded and he continued. "I know it's going to be tough. I don't expect it to be a cakewalk."

She nodded, knowing it would be far worse than James could imagine. "I should probably go talk to Harry," Alana said softly. "It might be a good idea to prepare him for this." She paused. "Now, it might take a few days for him to warm up to this idea."

James nodded. "I understand. I can't even imagine how he's going to feel."

She stood and gave her brother a tight hug. "I'll be back soon. I left a newspaper on the table for you to read if you got bored. It might help you catch up on current events."

Alana slowly walked out the bedroom door and down the stairs. She grabbed her purse off the table and attempted to quietly shut the door after she walked out. Taking a quick look around, she decided that walking most of the way would be the best way to collect her thoughts.

She wandered down the road and studied her surroundings. It would be quicker to take the trail, but the road would be safer. After a quick decision, she opted for the road; the longer the walk, the longer she would have to think of a way to approach on the subject.

It took her thirty minutes to walk to the Weasley's home. Alana knocked on the door of the burrow and waited for the pleasant face of Molly Weasley to answer. Harry was staying with the Weasleys until he figured out what he was going to do now that the Dark Lord had been defeated. He tossed around the idea of going back to school for his seventh year, but so far, decided it wasn't the best idea.

"Good day Alana," Molly Weasley said as she opened the door. "Do come in would you? How are you?" She stepped aside and let Alana enter. She slowly led Alana into the kitchen and began to fix a pot of tea.

Smiling, Alana removed her travelling cloak and draped it over the back of her chair. She sat down and rested her hands on the table. "I'm doing well. Is Harry around? I have to speak with him about something important."

Molly stopped walking and turned towards the younger woman. "Is everything alright? Are you okay? There's nothing wrong with Teddy is there?"

Alana nodded. "Everything is…" she sighed. "We've had a bit of a development on my end. I'd love to explain it all to you right now, but it's something Harry needs to know before I tell anyone else."

Molly nodded. "I'll go get him." She put the teapot down and quickly walked out of the room. Alana clasped her hands in front of her and sighed again.

"Hey Aunt Alana. What did you need to see me for?" Harry asked as he entered the kitchen. He sat in a chair across from her and smiled.

Alana looked over her nephew. He bore the cuts and bruises of battle, and his arm was in a sling. "How are you doing? Are you feeling better?"

Harry nodded. "Small talk never suited you." He smiled sadly. "What's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, she looked into his eyes. "We've had a bit of a development." _How do I tell him this? How am I supposed to tell him his father is alive?_

"What kind of development?" Harry asked, crossing his arms and leaning back into the chair.

Alana sighed. "Would you like to take a walk? I'd rather not talk about this where someone may overhear us."

Harry nodded and rose from the chair. He held out a hand for his aunt to take, and together, they walked out the kitchen door and into the yard. "What's so important that people shouldn't overhear us?"

Alana waited until they had walked a short distance from the house before stopping. "Someone turned up on my doorstep the other morning."

"Who?" Harry laughed. "Surely it wasn't Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon? I can't see them turning up anywhere associated with wizards."

Alana shook her head. "No, not Petunia and Vernon. I wouldn't have believed it myself unless I saw it. It's one of those random things that you never expect; not in a million years. No one would have thought this would happen."

"Aunt Alana, you're rambling. Who was it?" Harry gazed down at his aunt. His eyes were level with her forehead and he looked down into hers. "Who showed up?"

Alana sighed again. "Harry, please don't shout."

"Why would I shout?"

"You're father… James is alive." Alana shifted her gaze quickly to the ground. She didn't want to see the look in his eyes, the fear or confusion.

Harry's jaw dropped. "No. He can't be. He's been dead for sixteen years. James Potter cannot be alive. I've seen the grave." He closed his mouth and set his jaw determinedly.

"He is Harry," she said softly. "He's in my sitting room right now. We've had him check out by a Healer. It's really him."

"No." Harry shook his head. "No. You're taking the mickey. He's not alive. He can't be!" Harry spun around and walked several steps away from his aunt.

Alana simply stood, watching her nephew struggle with the news. "He is Harry," she whispered again. "I didn't believe it either. But it's him Harry." She walked over to her nephew and tried to put her arm around him but he shifted his shoulder and moved away.

"No. I don't believe you." Harry shook his head again. He could feel the hot tears making their way down his cheeks. Staring out towards the far away road, Harry couldn't stand to listen to this anymore.

"He really wants to see you. So when you're ready… if you're ready. He's staying with me until we're ready to tell everyone. Professor McGonagall, a healer, you and me are the only people who know he's alive. Whenever you're ready…" she trailed off. "I'll let you go now." She walked off the grass and onto the gravel path, leaving Harry to stand in the middle of the yard; the tears still streaming down his face.

Alana arrived back at her home and after opening the door, she collapsed against it, her body falling to the floor

"Alana?" A voice called from the other room. "Alana, are you okay?"

She took a deep breath and slowly climbed up so that she was standing against the door. Her brother rounded the corner and leaned against the doorframe. "Are you all right Alana? You look pale."

Nodding, she forced a smile. "Yes, I'm fine. It is a bit difficult, telling your nephew that his father is alive again after being dead for sixteen years."

Alana heard a sharp intake of breath from her older brother. She forced her eyes to meet his. "How did he take it?"

She shook her head. "He doesn't believe me." She laughed bitterly. "But can you blame him? Would you believe someone who told you that?"

James shook his head. "No, I reckon I wouldn't." He took her hand and led her into the sitting room. "But he'll come around. He'll believe you. I know he will."

Alana smiled sadly. "I hope you're right. It'll take him a while to come to terms. He's had a tough year."

James pulled her into a tight hug. "He'll come around. He's my son…" James paused, still holding his younger sister to his chest.

"Are you all right?" Alana pulled back slightly, looking up into his eyes.

James nodded, his gaze shifting towards the ground. "I just miss her 'Lana. I miss her so much!"

Laying her head into his chest, Alana squeezed him a little closer to her. She felt a tear drop from his face and land on her shoulder. Alana knew more than anything that in order for James to accept his new fate, Harry would have to come to terms that his father was alive. She held tightly to her brother, hoping to give him some comfort in this tough time.

* * *

**AN: So I'm going to start off by apologizing for the EXTREME delay in updating. As you know, I was on my honeymoon... and then my husband stole my computer... because his can't access the internet on his in my apt. But I managed to steal it back and finish this chapter. We're moving again, so hopefully we'll be able to connect his computer to the internet in the new apartment and I can continue to write... this story is itching to be finished! So please leave a review on your way out and let me know how you've been doing! Lots of love!**


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